Many believe that after the age of 40 our bodies will lose muscle mass in exchange for fat, making losing weight harder as we age. We may notice we’re not as flexible as we used to be or that everything hurts, and even accept this. Can an active, older person’s body resemble a younger person’s? Can the effects of exercise…
When I was in my early 20s, my brother—an avid black-diamond skier—decided to teach me to ski. He and a college buddy took me to a popular resort in New Hampshire, rode up with me to the top of the mountain, taught me how to fall down, then said they’d see me at the bottom of the trail. I looked…
We all know the expression “to grow old gracefully.” I have been thinking a lot about why we would need “grace” to accept something that is so natural. What is it in us that rebels against the aging process or, at the very least, worries about it? When I was in my 20s, I had already started worrying about…
When I received my friend Joan Pagano’s new book, Strength Training: Exercises for Women, I was impatient to crack it open and read her latest fitness tips and tricks. To my delight, I found that she had written an inscription on the title page. It read: “Aging gracefully takes muscle!” If anyone is the expert on aging gracefully, it would…
In the summer of 1969, with a getaway weekend at an acquaintance’s cottage on the Connecticut shore stymied by steady rain, I moped around alone in the rented space, bored stiff. Riffling through some record albums in the cluttered den, I came upon an LP that was beguiling in its starkness: bordered in black, the cover consisted of a single,…
We’re always looking for new ways to connect with people who share our vision of inspiring others to find their path in life. So when we saw the amazing lineup of speakers coming to New York City’s Javits Center for Hay House’s I Can Do It! weekend, we registered right away. Developed by Louise Hay, the two-day urban wellness retreat features…
By Douglas LaBier, Ph.D. Science continues to demonstrate the active interconnection between all “parts” of ourselves and the physical/social environment that we experience and deal with throughout life. In my view, this is more than “brain-behavior” or “mind-body” connection: We are biological/psychological/ spiritual/social beings. A recent study reveals a new connection between a specific personality trait—cynicism—and the likelihood of dementia.…
By Sarah McKay, Ph.D I’ve been writing this brain health blog since April, and very quickly it has become one of my life’s great passions—my “north star.” I wake up every morning buzzing with excitement and feeling so blessed I’m doing what I love. Besides trying my hardest to be the best Mum and wife I can be, my passion…
If you’re over 40, you’re not going to like this (and if you’re not yet 40, get ready for a reality check): Early in your fifth decade, researchers believe, your cognitive brain performance peaks. From there, it’s a downhill slide for the remaining years of your life. The good news is that the brain is highly adaptable; it responds to…
